1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the ironing of fabrics upon an ironing board having a cover, and more particularly concerns a rest for horizontally seating a hot iron upon an ironing board without damaging the cover.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Following laundering, many fabric items, such as clothing apparel are generally subjected to an ironing process for the purpose of removing wrinkles. In most households, the ironing is done by the housewife employing an ironing board and an electrically heated ironing device customarily referred to merely as an "iron." The ironing board has an elongated flat surface of relatively narrow width disposed horizontally at waist level.
The surface of the ironing board is generally covered with a cushioning pad of about 1/8" thickness. A fabric cover which imposes little sliding frictional drag upon the iron is tautly emplaced over the cushioning pad.
The iron is generally comprised of a forwardly pointed hull portion elongated upon a vertical plane of symmetry and having a sole plate having a flat lower surface. The hull has a truncated rear heel extremity. A handle is upwardly disposed from the hull portion and centered upon said plane of symmetry. An electrical heating element is disposed within the hull portion. A water reservoir may also be disposed within the hull portion for the purpose of generating steam which can be controllably directed onto the garment or other item undergoing ironing. The lower surface is provided with a low friction coating which eases sliding movement of the iron over the items being ironed.
During the ironing process, it is often necessary that both the operator's hands be employed for manipulating the item being ironed or to remove the item and replace it with another. In such instances, the iron must be left unheld. If the iron is merely allowed to remain with the flat lower surface against the ironing board cover, sufficient heat will accumulate to raise the temperature beneath the iron to a level where the cover will sustain thermal damage such as scorching, burning or ignition. To avoid such damage, the heel portion of most irons is configured in a manner such that the iron can be balanced thereupon in an upright position, thereby removing the lower surface from contact with the ironing board cover. However, in such upright position, the iron is usually unstable with respect to toppling, and can fall off the ironing board. Also, the need to repeatedly manipulate the iron from its horizontal, working disposition to the upright parked or storage disposition can aggravate the already wearisome chore of ironing.
Numerous types of seating plates for irons have been disclosed in the prior art which permit storage of the iron with its lower surface parallel to the ironing board cover. Such plates generally utilize special construction whereby, even though the uppermost portion becomes extremely hot, minimal heat is transferred from the iron to the ironing board cover. Plates of the aforesaid nature generally sit relatively high above the ironing board and are constructed of metal. These factors present a burn hazard to the housewife, particularly because the severity of burns of the skin are dependent upon the temperature and heat transfer characteristics of the hot surface. Also, repeated contact with metal surfaces will wear away the low friction coating on the lower surface of the iron. Further, the iron can easily accidentally slide off a metal surface.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a rest for receiving an iron upon an ironing board having a cover without damaging the cover.
It is another object of this invention to provide a rest as in the foregoing object which permits the hot lower surface of the iron to be horizontally disposed in parallel relationship to the ironing board.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a rest of the aforesaid nature which will not scorch the cover of an ironing board when a hot iron is seated upon said rest.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide a rest of the aforesaid nature which minimizes burn risk to the user and provides non-sliding interaction between the ironing board cover and an iron.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a rest of the aforesaid nature of simple, durable constriction amenable to low cost manufacture.
These objects and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description.